CalAware Weekly
Issue Date: 2007-03-12 17:12:57

Print this Article
Email this Article

SACRAMENTO, March 9 (CalAware) - Celebrating Sunshine Week (March 11-18)-and its third birthday-Californians Aware will be offering free online panel discussions and a Public Records Act training session for law enforcement agencies.

The panelists will explore legislative proposals for the disclosure of peace office disciplinary records (AB 1648) and criminal history information (SB 690). Both supporting and opposing viewpoints will be presented, and there will be opportunity for questions from members of the audience, who will "attend" the sessions via their own computer screens.

The law enforcement workshop is open to the public, but is specifically designed to support and train law enforcement personnel who handle public records requests. Departments that were audited in CalAware's 2006 law enforcement audit are particularly encouraged to participate. The Banning Police Department recently received this training. Its Deputy Chief Leonard Purvis reported that the workshop was well received and was success in the eyes of his department.

Sunshine Week webinars are made possible by a generous gift from the law firm Cooper, White and Cooper, LLP. All presentations can be viewed from any computer with an Internet connection and web browser.

Registration begins Sunday, March 11. For more information, visit the CalAware website.

Schedule

• Tuesday, March 13, 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. – Cops, Robbers and Sunshine 1:
Peace Officer Discipline Secrecy Limited by AB 1648 (Leno)
For almost 30 years, unlike the situation with public employees in general, information about confirmed discipline or dismisal for cause of police and sheriff's officers has been confidential by law, accessible only in litigation, if then. But a proposed new law would open records of officer discipline to the public. Is this a good idea?
> Susan Seager, Davis Wright Tremaine, Los Angeles -- Counsel to Los Angeles Times
> Mark Schlosberg, Director of Police Practices Project, ACLU of Northern California
> John Tennant, General Counsel, San Francisco and San Jose Police Officers Associations
Moderator: Terry Francke, Californians Aware

• Wednesday, March 14, 8:30 - 10:00 a.m. – Cops, Robbers and Sunshine 2:
Local Criminal History Secrecy Limited by SB 690 (Calderon)
For many years the law has prohibited local law enforcement agencies from releasing to the public "rap sheets" that show the criminal history of individuals. Now a proposed new law would allow these agencies "to provide information from a local summary criminal history, if, upon penalty of perjury, the person declares that the request is made for a scholarly or journalistic purpose and the release of the information would enhance public safety, the interest of justice, or the public's understanding of the justice system." Is this a good idea?
> Tom Newton, General Counsel, California Newspaper Publishers Association
> Bill Woods, Deputy District Attorney, Los Angeles County
Moderator: Terry Francke, Californians Aware

• Thursday, March 15, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. – Cops, Robbers and Sunshine 3:
Public Information Procedures Training for Local Law Enforcement Departments
In January newspapers statewide published results of a CalAware/press audit
http://www.calaware.org/audits
of more than 200 CHP, sheriff's and police departments, grading their public information practices and compliance with the California Public Records Act. Most departments failed, but CalAware's standards for service were higher than the law requires. Today's program will see CalAware presenting its legal and procedural training tips for front counter personnel, midlevel information officers and records supervisors, and watch commanders. The program will include a model public information policy to be used by departments in training their own personnel.
> Emily Francke, Executive Director, Californians Aware
> Leonard Purvis, Deputy Chief, Banning Police Department
> Terry Francke, General Counsel, Californians Aware